Prospect Profile: 3B Taylor Green

24042008

Taylor Green had a phenomenal year in the minors last season, snagging the Player of the Year in the Brewers Organization in 2007. In Single-A West Virginia, he hit .327/.406/.516/.922. Those are numbers that Ryan Braun may even blush at after one season as a professional.

One aspect of Taylor’s game that stands out to me is his plate discipline. Most of the Brewers top prospects are free-swingers, as are most of the Brewers on the major league roster. Taylor, on the other hand, has an 11% walk rate and only struck out 65 times last season. Those are more than respectable for someone that just started playing pro ball.

His power is acceptable, as he hit 14 home runs last season, but I would like to see it increase a bit. To be a legitimate starting third baseman in the major leagues, he has to get that total over 20. Taylor can obviously do that once he fills into his body a bit more and progresses as a complete player. His power numbers will be skewed next season playing in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, so it will be hard to judge until he hits Double-A.

Taylor did play second base in college, so the switch to second has been a bit uncomfortable for the youngster (sound familiar to anyone?). His 23 errors at third base are a big concern, but he has plenty of time to improve at the position before sniffing the big leagues. He has the natural athleticism that should enable him to get the footwork and arm angles down to be very successful at the hot corner.

His path to the big league has gotten a bit clearer now that Ryan Braun has moved to left field, but Mat Gamel still stands in his way. Gamel has notoriously butchered the third base position in the field, so Taylor has an edge in that category (even if it is a slight edge).

Taylor does have a long way to go before getting to the big leagues, but he’s proving last year wasn’t a fluke. Through the first 19 games of the season, Taylor is hitting .338 and has a .434 on-base percentage. His walk to strikeout ratio is 11:13, which is fantastic thus far. He has yet to register a home run this season, but I blame the Florida State League for most of those troubles. Taylor Green is one of the most exciting Brewers prospects, and it would be foolish not to keep an eye on him. He bats for average and draws walks, while hitting for power. If he can improve that defense, Brewers fans may see Taylor in the big leagues a couple seasons down the road.

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